Safety / Concerns

Owners of any kind of livestock know that animals can affect neighbors. Some fairly general complaints livestock owners receive are concerning dust, flies, and odors.

Dust can be reduces in corrals by periodic wetting. If you pasture is producing dust, it needs serious attention.

Flies hatch from maggots that grow in warm, wet manure. The most unpleasant odors also come from wet manure.

Some possible solutions:

Feed dealers have mineral supplements that stop flies from growing in manure.

Drag manure to spread it over the fields and dry it out.

Divert runoff water away from corrals.

Save the trees! Trees and shrubs are an asset in most pasture settings. They work like an evaporative cooler in the summer and are a windbreak in cold weather. They also increase the value of your property. If animals are peeling bark or otherwise damaging trees, consider protecting the trees with a fence.

Stream Stewardship - Trees and shrubs protect stream banks and enhance wildlife habitat. If they are removed, the stream is likely to cut into the stream bank on your property. People down stream then have to deal with the sediment that used to be on your land. Sediment kills fish and fills canals, lakes and ponds. Having a pasture on a stream can be an advantage, however, it carries increased responsibility.

Fencing livestock off the stream bank allows willows and trees to grow and protect the soil. You don't' have to find another way to water the stock if utilize proper fencing. Make a small stream access area with panels or fence. The access should be small enough to keep animals from wading into the stream. Putting gravel in the access area will provide a firm base to keep animals from disturbing the soil.

Don't Make Me Drink It! Take a hard look at the lay of your land. When it storms, where does the water go? It is not good stream stewardship to let your runoff carry manure with it because most Utah streams are somebody's drinking water source. Even people using well water know that often their water source is the ground water from pastures.

Spread manure on the land that is away from the stream, and manage irrigation water. When grass is well managed, it cleans and filters water and uses the nutrients in the manure for growth. If you have a well managed pasture, you can actually improve the quality of water for everyone.